2000-09-16 - 1:43

Sketchy

Yeah, the updates are less frequent these days . . . but hey, I'm on vacation :) Actually, I've been enjoying not being on a computer everyday. I've noticed that the only thing that I miss if I don't go online is journalling--keeping my own and reading my regulars. However, I've been catching up on both fronts, as this long entry will demonstrate.

The last time that I wrote, I was two days into my stay in Banff; so I'll pick up from there. Tuesday was the slackest day of the trip until today; but I did get out to walk around downtown.

Wednesday was great. It was Kelly's first day off since I arrived, so she, John, and I used her free gondola passes. The gondola runs to the top of Sulphur Mountain, which has an elevation of just under 2300 metres. Very cool.

The gondola ride itself is fun; and the view from the peak is spectacular. We took the walkway to Sanson Point (I think that that's what it's called); and I took a lot of excellent pictures. It's funny how small Tunnel Mountain looks from that height--it seems a lot more impressive from John's balcony. Before heading back, I picked up a small stone from the peak for Jen, who wanted me to get her one as a souvenier.

Later that day, Griff and two of John's other friends came over; and the five of us played a strategy board game called Axis and Allies. That was a lot of fun; but I couldn't believe that we stayed up until 7:00 AM going at it.

After those hours, I thought that I'd be fried for Thursday and that it would be a nothing day . . . wrong! Okay, I didn't get out of bed until close to 2:00 in the afternoon; but Thursday was the best.

What made it so outstanding was that I decided to climb to the top of our backyard peak, Tunnel Mountain. (Yes, the one that looked so puny from atop Sulphur.) I went by myself and had a nice, tough hike. There is a main trail that follows a series of switchbacks to the peak; but I skipped that option in favour of the less-travelled trails that essentially go straight up the side of the mountain.

That was so fun, although it was a bit of a challenge. I took a few breaks along the way; but I eventually reached the summit.

Of course, my sense of accomplishment was somewhat tarnished when I saw the five year old girl who had reached the peak with her family; but I was still satisfied. (Heheh.)

The feeling that I had looking down on the town and the valley, with the sun shining and a warm breeze blowing . . . it was amazing. The girl in the shorts and bikini top performing a graceful stretching routine only added to the beauty. (And yes, it was warm enough for that--it was like being on a beach.)

I stayed there for a long time (and not just because of the girl). It was great to stand in the sunshine and the quiet, to simply enjoy the sensory experience, thinking about nothing but the beauty of the moment. Awesome.

One of the cool things about the peak was the impressive set of stone pilings that previous visitors had crafted. I forget the name of that art; but it was highlighted in a Canadaian Government TV spot a few years ago. The little girl who I mentioned before added a rock wall to the mix; and I couldn't resist leaving my own contribution before I made my way home.

Today, on the other hand, was exactly the slack day that I had expected for Thursday. What can I say? I needed some sleep and taking a day to do nothing isn't a bad use of a two week vacation. I watched a little of the Olympics, played some N64, and read some more from Nick Cave's novel, And the Ass Saw the Angel. That book is incredible. I love Cave's astonishingly poetic style; and the strong religious overtones in the story are interesting.

The only downside to lazing around for a day is that before you know it, you end up getting hooked into watching Big Brother. I couldn't help but think of Jennie, especially after John started talking about how funny the Snickers panda commercial was. Heheh. (Oh, since I can't Telnet these days, I have no e-mail access; so I'll wish Jennie a happy birthday from here.)

Okay, I'd better stop here. I think that this is probably already my longest entry; but I had a few days to cover. The short version: I'm loving my time in Banff and having a lot of fun. Life is good :)

J.